


Charming

by ElsieMcClay



Series: Voltron Fics [25]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, keith's birthday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 21:35:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12639621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElsieMcClay/pseuds/ElsieMcClay
Summary: It's Keith's birthday.





	Charming

**Author's Note:**

> For Keith's birthday.

Keith sighs and buries his head in his arms. His knees are pulled up to his chest with his arms crossed and resting on the knee, and he feels like a child with the way he’s practically in the fetal position. He knew not to expect anything from the Blade or his team, but it’s his birthday, and he’s never felt so lonely in his life. Space has never felt so cold and unwelcoming. 

Of course, the only one that probably remembers his birthday is Shiro. He told the team at some point, but it’s something so small in the vastness of a space war, so he doubts anyone really remembers or marked it down anywhere. Shiro is most likely too busy to think about the date, and he never even told any of the Blade members. He knew he shouldn’t have expected much, whether it be a simple “Happy Birthday, Keith” or anything at all, really, but he still has this strange disappointment balled up in his chest. It hurts. 

It’s not uncommon for him to be forgotten, what with his father working all the time, his mother gone, and once he was adopted by the Shirogane’s, Shiro always being at the Garrison and Mr. and Mrs.Shirogane being at some gathering Keith really did not want to go to. Always too busy for Keith, everyone was. 

It didn’t make it hurt any less, though. Even now, when he thought he had a family, everyone is too busy for him. He supposes he deserves it after just up and leaving and pushing everyone away like he did. Plus, none of them could be expected to remember something like this while they’re all busy fighting a war against the Galra. 

Keith curls up again on his side, surrounded by his knife, a little hand-knitted lion that Hunk had given him at some point, the Voltron symbol cross-stitched into some fabric from Lance, and a few other things that he holds close. He knows the Castle is somewhere nearby the Blade base right now, but he feels like there are three billion galaxy systems between Keith and his team. Keith feels a tear drip down the side of his face and plop onto the bland, white sheets beneath him.

Finally, Keith feels himself drifting into a fitful sleep with the small lion wrapped in his arms. 

Keith finds himself jerked back into awareness by a persistent shaking. He slaps at the and on his shoulder, and the shaking stops. He sits up and rubs his eye, still holding the small lion close to his chest, only because he knows it isn’t Kolivan. He would’ve barked orders at Keith until he woke up. He’s had that happen more than once–mostly because Galra need half as much sleep as humans, and, unfortunately, Keith was not blessed with that part of the Galra. 

“Mmm,” Keith groans, blinking blearily at the figure above him. 

“Keith,” they whisper, and Keith waves his hand at the panel near the door. The lights come up, and Keith jumps in surprise. HIs eyes widen, and his brows furrow as he looks up at the person.

“Lance? What are you doing here?” Lance holds his finger over his lips and glances nervously out the open door. Keith closes it with another flick of his hand, and Lance relaxes, if only a little. 

“It’s your birthday. I’ve been trying to get ahold of you all day, but Kolivan eventually closed the transmission line because he would answer, see it was me, then shut me down. He listened to me once, but he wouldn’t let me through. Eventually, I snuck in here. Red really wanted to see you after I told her it was your birthday. Then explained what a birthday was,” he adds with a grin. Keith’s eyes well up with tears, and he launches forward and wraps his arms around Lance’s neck. 

“You remembered,” he mumbles into his shoulder as Lance hugs him back.

“‘Course I did.”

“I don’t even remember telling you,” Keith admits, and he really doesn’t. He knows he told him, he just doesn’t know when. Lance laughs and holds him tighter. They stand like that for a long while, Keith thinking of how, finally, he’s not on the backburner. Of how someone is finally making time for him. 

“Wasn’t there a mission scheduled for today?” Keith asks when they finally pull away. Lance’s eyes widen, and he rubs the back of his neck as a blush colors the tips of his ears.

“This was way more important. Plus, it was just a simple run that I wasn’t needed for. I doubt they’ve even noticed me missing.” Suddenly, Lance seems to have remembered something, and he pulls something out of his coat pocket. He holds a small box out to Keith, blushing something fierce. Keith cocks his head but takes the box and slips the ribbon off. 

Keith gasps quietly when he opens the box. There’s a silver chain with a few charms on it. One looks exactly like his blade, the second is a charm of Voltron, another with just Red’s head. He looks up at Lance in awe. 

“Did you–did you make this?” Lance nods shyly before pulling on a chain that looks like Keith’s. Her reveals a few charms of his own. 

“Mama started this when she had my oldest sister. She’d give us all a chain and a charm for every birthday, and I know there are a few extra, but I dunno…I just thought you’d like it, I guess.” Lance shrugs and fidgets. Keith smiles at him. 

“I love it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr at elsiemcclay!!!


End file.
